Amber Riley of 'Glee' crushes it on 'Dancing With the Stars'

Amber Riley, was that really a 27 out of 30 we saw you earn with the cha-cha on "Dancing With the Stars" Monday night? The first night of the 17th season of "Dancing With the Stars"?

Even Kellie Pickler, last season's winner, notched only a 21 with the cha-cha her first night on the dance floor.

Riley, who's a singer by training and a dancer only as "a dream deferred" — she said on the show that her family could afford only one of the pursuits — took to the ballroom thing like a fish to water, despite early nerves.

"Ask her again in a few weeks," said Hough, who was Pickler's partner last season. "DWTS is live and it's one take, so this is eventually going to be harder."

Riley agreed that on "Glee," they could cut away, do another take or "distract" from a gaffe with the dancing of 11 other people.

Later on Twitter, she thanked her costars Jenna Ushkowitz, Kevin McHale, Chris Colfer, Diana Agron and Ashley Fink for being in the audience to support her, and then it was time to call it a night, excitement or not.

"What an amazing night! Gotta get some shuteye! Rehearsal tomorrow :) working hard for y’all and myself. Gnite," she tweeted a little after 11, but it didn't end there. Twenty minutes later, she posted a shot of her place bedecked with stars: "I have the best friends!," she wrote. "Came home to a party!"

Valerie Harper, diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in January and given three to six months to live, has defied the odds and as of June was close to remission, the actress and her doctor revealed Thursday morning on the "Today" show.